NTEU Challenges CBP Distribution of Awards
NTEU has filed a grievance challenging CBP's implementation of the Joint Awards Committee (JAC) article of the NTEU-CBP contract—and it includes a long list of ways the agency has allegedly violated its agreement at locations nationwide.
The union's grievance charges CBP with improperly lowering awards shares and overall awards. NTEU is also arguing that CBP failed to dedicate 1 percent of the bargaining unit salary to awards and to ensure that at least 85 percent of the awards pool would be available for distribution by JACs.
The NTEU-negotiated awards process allows for joint management-union committees and for employees to self-nominate, which promotes transparency and helps to ensure that employee performance is rewarded based upon merit, not personal favoritism.
NTEU Calls for More CBP Staffing
Significant increases in staffing at the nation’s 331 land, air and sea ports of entry are critical to helping secure the nation’s borders, facilitate trade and ensure importers are complying with the law.
This was NTEU's message to lawmakers in testimony submitted Feb. 7 to a House subcommittee examining maritime security and trade issues. NTEU President Colleen M. Kelley expressed concern with the lack of funding and staffing devoted to CBP's security and trade enforcement functions at major U.S. seaports. As a result of this deficiency, the government loses badly-needed revenue, American companies lose business to unlawful imports, and the American people face the risk of dangerous materials being smuggled onto our shores.
President Kelley also warned that the staffing shortages, along with inequitable compensation and a lack of mission focus, are causing a retention problem among experienced CBP Import Specialists.